The gates opened automatically, smooth and silent, as if nothing inside those walls could ever be questioned or challenged.
Rafael drove in slowly, his eyes scanning the familiar surroundings that suddenly felt unfamiliar, every corner carrying a new, unsettling weight.
The mansion stood ahead, immaculate, sunlight reflecting off its polished surfaces, a perfect image carefully maintained for the world outside.
Mateo shifted slightly beside him, his shoulders tensing as they got closer, a subtle movement that Rafael would have overlooked any other day.
Now, it felt like a warning.
They stopped at the entrance, and for a moment neither of them moved, as if both understood that stepping out would mean returning to a silent agreement.
Rafael turned off the engine, the sudden quiet amplifying the sound of Mateo’s shallow breathing in the back seat.
“Do you want me to walk you inside?” Rafael asked, though he already knew the answer might not change anything.
Mateo shook his head quickly, almost instinctively, as if the suggestion itself carried a risk he couldn’t explain.
“She doesn’t like it when people stay,” he murmured, eyes still lowered, avoiding any direct connection.
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